When the season of giving and getting is over, households across the
country are left to sort through the empty boxes and wonder how they
ever got along without their new toys. But Great Lakes Radio Consortium
commentator, Julia King, worries what all those new toys really mean-for
our daily lives, for our fellow humans and for the planet:
Author: Julia King
Julia of the Jungle
Americans love their celebrities. We make them personal heroes, elect
them to public office, and turn them into spokespeople for everything
from gun ownership to prenatal care. Recently, Great Lakes Radio
Consortium commentator Julia King watched a well-known actress make a
plea for the threatened orangutan. The experience has her wondering how
to "turn" people "on" to the woes of the planet:
An Autumn Passing
Fall begins with unrivaled energy and beauty, but when the colors fade, it seems melancholy hangs in the bare trees as everything braces for winter. Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Julia King explores the eternal link between nature’s cycle and an acceptance of death:
Commentary – Take Cover!
The Mid-West has had a harsh storm season this summer, with plenty ofweather alerts and downed trees as proof. Recently, thousands were leftwithout electricity after storms made their way through northern Indiana andsouthern Michigan. Technology…such as Doppler radar…helps warnresidents of impending danger, minimizing the loss of lives. But afterheeding several warnings herself, Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator,Julia King, wonders about the fine line between forewarning and crying wolf:
Commentary – The Green Coordinator
Wal-Mart, with its sprawling parking lots and its abundance of plastics,often makes an easy target for environmentalists. But does being big haveto mean being bad? Big business can mean big money and a big commitment tothe environment. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Julia Kingrecently saw a glimmer of hope in the vast aisles of a super Wal-Mart. Ordid she?
Commentary – The Truth About Pet Food
One California-based animal rights group is calling for aboycott of commercial pet food. The Animal Protection Institute claimsthat most consumers are unaware that they are not providing their petswith proper nutrition. The group charges that most commercial foodscontain things like slaughterhouse waste, roadkill and restaurant greaseand they’re calling on pet owners to replace commercial foods withfresher, more nutritious foods. However, not everyone is sold on theidea. Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Julia King questions thewisdom of treating pets like people:
Commentary – A Laundry Solution?
Millions of Americans use a microwave on a daily basis…but how many of us actually understand how the thing works? As technology becomes more complex, there are times when science looks a bit like magic. Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Julia King worries that today’s "High Science" has us so used to functioning without answers that we’re forgetting to ask questions:
Commentary – The Quest for Purity
The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing national rulesfor organic food production. The new rules are an attempt tostandardize labeling and quality. But as they are now written, theywill still allow irradiation, genetically altered food and syntheticfertilizers…And that has Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator JuliaKing worried:
Commentary – Champlain a Great Lake?
Earlier this month (March, 1998) President Clinton signed a bill declaring Vermont’s Lake Champlain as one of the Great Lakes. The move was engineered by Senator Patrick Leahy in order to make Vermont universities eligible for federal research dollars. But the move created a firestorm of ridicule and protest. Last week, the Senate voted unanimously to remove the designation. The House is expected to do the same this week—a move that pleases Great Lakes Commentator Julia King:
Commentary – Completing the Cycle
Just a generation ago, Americans threw their household waste in one big trash can and sent it off to landfills. Today, recycling is part of the fabric of daily life. We sort and save; carefully putting our bottles curbside or carting them off to the nearest collection site. But what does it mean? Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator, Julia King, wonders if we’ve really learned the lesson, or if we’re just mouthing the words: